Presentation by Eugene Gyawu at 2022 Society of Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

1. 1
MINER-CENTERED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING
TECHNOLOGY NEEDS FOR SELF- ESCAPE IN
UNDERGROUND COAL MINE EMERGENCIES
E. Gyawu, K. Awuah-Offei, & D. Baker

2. 2
Order Of Presentation
 Introduction
 Objectives
 Methodology
 Results
 Discussions
 Conclusions
 Recommendations

3. 3
Introduction
 There have been recent Coal Mine Disasters (SAGO, 2006, 12
Fatalities & UBB, 2010, 29 Fatalities)
 Self Escape in Underground coal mines is required
 Human Systems Integrations (HSI) approach in examining Self-
escape as part of Safety systems
 Miner-Centered Designs approach to identify perceived
technological boundaries to self-escape

4. 4
Objectives
 Identify perceived technological boundaries to self-
escape
 Elicit direct feedback from miners about self-escape
technologies

5. 5
Methodology
 Used Qualtrics Software to design and deploy Survey
 5-part survey designed to evaluate 21 competency items
and 21 technologies and interventions
 Competency items (KSA) - the respondent’s confidence in
their own skills, knowledge, and abilities
 Technologies and interventions - ratings of how useful our
new set of proposed technologies

6. 6
Code Technology Competency Items (KSAs)
Use_SCSR_4 An SCSR that allows you to talk while wearing
Ability to overcome limitations and possibilities of verbal
communications with SCSR
Use_SCSR_5
Improved SCSRs that allow miners to switchover without breathing
contaminated air
Skills to switch over SCSR without breathing contaminated air
Use_Com_3
Display in the refuge alternative that shows the current location of
other miners, and gas and temperature monitoring data directly
outside of the RA.
Listening and maintaining awareness of communications from
responsible person, dispatcher, and escape group leader
Use_RA_3
Clearly labelled instructions inside shelter with step-by-step
instructions for activating an in-place refuge alternative.
Knowledge to activate refuge alternative functions once inside the
refuge
Use_CO_Moni_2
A hand-held interactive device that miners can use to access real-time
CO measurements from any CO monitor throughout the mine
Ability to visually inspect the environment
Use_Com_1
Reference card listing which info to gather and report to the surface
when you contact them (e.g., card with checklist such as location,
headcount, names, physical condition, and needs)
Communicating critical information such as location, headcount,
names, physical condition and needs about the miners
underground
Use_SCSR_3 An SCSR that is easier to don than current technology Skills on how to properly don an SCSR

7. 7
Results

8. 8
Results – Usefulness Ratings

9. 9
Results – Work Location

10. 10
Results – Work Group

11. 11
Discussions
 Overall high usefulness ratings for 21
technologies
 Higher rating for UG workers than surface and
other locations
 Higher rating for “production and
maintenance” than safety professionals.

12. 12
Conclusion
 There is the need to improve self-escape
technology
 Improvement in Human-Centered designs of
self-escape technology
 Improvement in usability and comfort of self-
escape technology

13. 13
Recommendation
Proof Of Concept and Prototype Studies:
 SCSR Communication Capabilities
 Simple and Easy to Don SCSR
 Refuge alternatives Technology
Improvement
 CO Monitors

14. 14
QUESTIONS ?

15. Appendix